24/7 Space News
EARLY EARTH
'Well-preserved' dinosaur fossil revealed by Brazilian flood
'Well-preserved' dinosaur fossil revealed by Brazilian flood
By Luc�a LACURCIA
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) July 19, 2024

Torrential rains causing historic flooding in southern Brazil have revealed a "very well-preserved" dinosaur fossil dating back some 200 million years, according to the research team who discovered it.

The fossil was first identified in May near the city of Sao Joao do Polesine, some 280 kilometres (170 miles) west of Porto Alegre, in a part of the Brazilian pampas dubbed the country's 'El Dorado' of palaeontology.

A team of palaeontologists from the Federal University of Santa Maria spent four days excavating the fossil to remove the block of rock containing a "near complete" dinosaur fossil to take back to their research centre for study.

Initial findings have determined the fossil was a specimen of the Herrerasauridae family, which were bipedal carnivores with long tails found in the area of modern-day Brazil and Argentina.

The fossil dates to the Triassic period, between 250 to 200 million years ago.

Rodrigo Temp Muller, who's leading the research effort, told AFP that the fossil is possibly the second most complete fossil of a Herrerasauridae specimen to date.

The most complete was found in the same part of Brazil in 2014, leading to the identification of a new species with hooked claws, dubbed gnathovorax cabreirai.

The fossil will undergo several rounds of analysis before researchers can determine whether the specimen is a member of the same species.

"We have to be very careful with this work, it's very meticulous, almost surgical," Muller said, adding the process could take "several months."

"Every little part that we might damage will be a bit of information that we might not be able to recover."

Once the analysis is done, Muller's team will publish the results in a scientific journal.

- Erosion acceleration -

The heavy rains that affected the pampas in May killed more than 180 people in Brazil and caused major damage to infrastructure.

The floods revealed the fossil much earlier by "accelerating erosion," a silver lining to researchers, who would not have discovered it until much later, according to Muller.

The downpour is not without its drawbacks, however, as heavy rainfall "also destroys a lot of the material" from the fossils, especially small fragments.

Palaeontologists maintain a close watch on the fossil deposits as a result, especially any fragments that may be exposed, and focus their efforts during excavations to recover these fossils in the best possible condition.

Related Links
Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
EARLY EARTH
UC Riverside Study Offers Insights into Early Life on Earth
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 10, 2024
Despite decades of research, much remains unknown about the origins and early evolution of life on Earth. A recent paper from the University of California - Riverside aims to bridge this gap, suggesting future studies that could also inform climate change predictions and the search for extraterrestrial life. "This paper strives to inform the Earth sciences community where the research needs to go next," said Christopher Tino, a UCR PhD candidate during the time of research and a first author. ... read more

EARLY EARTH
Russia's 'window to the west' turns to tourists from the East

Juice's Historic Lunar-Earth Flyby: Key Details

Innovative Stochastic Model Revolutionizes Interplanetary Supply Chain Planning

Real-life Spacesuit Innovation Recycles Urine into Drinking Water

EARLY EARTH
HyPrSpace tests hybrid rocket engine at DGA Missile Site

Musk to move companies out of California over transgender law

China's All-Electric Communication Satellite APSTAR 6E Now Operational

NASA Introduces Low-Cost Hybrid Rocket Motor Testbed

EARLY EARTH
AI enhancements drive Mars rover discoveries

Voyagers of Mars: The First CHAPEA Crew's Yearlong Journey

Mars Likely Experienced Cold and Icy Conditions, Study Suggests

Martian Atmosphere Unveiled Through Innovative Use of Existing Technology

EARLY EARTH
Beijing Unveils 'Rocket Street' to Boost Commercial Space Sector

Shenzhou XVII Crew Shares Post-Mission Insights with Media

Shenzhou XVIII Crew Successfully Completes Second Spacewalk

Chinese Scientists Develop Novel Rosa Roxburghii Varieties via Space Breeding

EARLY EARTH
Booz Allen Invests in Quindar to Enhance Satellite Automation

Maritime Satellite Communications Market Expands with Rising NGSO Solutions

SpaceX Successfully Launches Turkey's First Home-Grown Communications Satellite

Ovzon 3 Satellite Commences Commercial Service

EARLY EARTH
India's Infosys beats profit estimates as client spending rises

New Hertz 2.0 building enhances space antenna testing at ESTEC

EU, Serbia set to ink 'critical raw materials' deal

OptoGPT enhances design efficiency for solar cells, smart windows, and more

EARLY EARTH
NASA's Webb Explores Atmospheric Differences on Exoplanet WASP-39 b

Scorching Storms Unveiled on Nearby Brown Dwarfs

BAE Systems to Advance Stable Optical Technology for NASA's HWO Mission

New Proposal Redefines Planetary Criteria Beyond Our Solar System

EARLY EARTH
NASA Evaluates Electrical Components for Europa Clipper Mission

Subaru Telescope Discovers New Objects Beyond the Kuiper Belt

NASA's Juno Observes Lava Lakes on Jupiter's Moon Io

Understanding Cyclones on Jupiter Through Oceanography

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.